The anchovies did her in. Until Tyra Jefferson faced the stomach-turning challenge of tasting and describing the salty little fish, she was rocking her turn on Food Network Star Kids last year, just two episodes away from the finals.

“I saw it, and I was like, ‘Maybe it tastes good.’ But, once I put it in my mouth ...” Her nose wrinkles. “It was like a slimy, bony ... It was nasty.”

That was a rare moment that got the best of Jefferson, who fearlessly declares, “I can face any challenge anyone throws at me.” Undaunted, she stepped up again just months later to grill against three kid competitors on Food Network’s Kids BBQ Championship.

Though she didn’t claim victory in either contest, Jefferson counts wins in lessons learned from her celebrity mentors (including her idol, actress Tia Mowry) and the boost for her budding business with a name as big as her ambition—Tyra’s Big World of Flavor: Where My Southern Flair Comes to Life.

“I’m not going to give you an exact date, but I’m pretty sure before I’m in college I’ll have my food truck,” says the seventh grader, who has been cooking and grilling with her family since age 7. After that, a restaurant. “And you know how McDonald’s has a restaurant all over the world?” That’s her plan.

Her TV fame has led to invitations to community speaking engagements, cooking demos, festival appearances and catering jobs. Jefferson tells her audiences to find their “flavor”—the talent and effort that make their dreams come true. She’s busy working on all of hers.

“I want to be a professional dancer,” she says. “And a professional chef. And a professional actress. With a side job of singing. If I have that time. I have so many things on my plate!”